Auto accidents do not necessarily exclude you if you were not driving a car or truck yourself. In fact, those using other modes of transportation are more likely to be injured in the event that a driver of an automobile hits them. The question remains, can you sue a driver if you were using anything but a car/truck yourself? Let's take a look at the other modes you might have been using and how an auto accident attorney would view each of these situations.
Bicycle vs. Auto
This is a tricky one. If the driver just tapped or bumped into you, and the damages and compensation are less than a hundred dollars, then no, you generally should not sue. However, if the driver hit you at fifty or sixty miles an hour, rolled over your bicycle and turned it into a pretzel, and you had a concussion, abrasions, cuts that required stitches, and/or broken bones, then a resounding "yes" to a lawsuit.
Most bicycles can be repaired or replaced cheaply. The only exception is if you were riding a professional touring bike that cost five hundred dollars or more. Ergo, the majority of your compensation in this type of case would be medical bills.
ATV or Motorcycle vs. Auto
Even though an ATV should not be on a public road or city street, damage to it and injuries to you still count as a valid lawsuit. Likewise, a motorcycle, which is street-legal, is a definite reason to sue because it counts as a vehicle even though it is neither a car nor a truck. On both of these motorized open-air vehicles, you can get seriously, if not fatally, injured, and the cost of repairing or replacing either mode of transportation is expensive. Your attorney would definitely argue that you have a case.
Horse and Buggy
It may sound funny, but there are a lot of accidents involving horses and buggies, and other people's cars and trucks. More often than not, those driving the horses and buggies may sue because they are the ones being hit, but it is not out of the realm of possibilities that the driver of a horse and buggy will also hit vehicles. You may choose to sue the driver of the vehicle because you lost your buggy and/or your horse, and/or you may choose to sue because of the injuries you incurred from being hit.
Contact a firm, like Hoffman, Larin & Agnetti, for more help.
